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CD Review: Black Earth “Pink Champagne”

While the sound of rock and roll has changed throughout the years, you can still find bands that have been influenced by the sound of Classic Rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream and others. One current band that has focused their musical energy on creating new music with that Classic Rock feel is Austin, Texas-based Black Earth.

Black Earth is a trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist Jason “Ving” Calise, bassist/vocalist Dave Rangel and drummer Jason Reese. Together, these three musicians create a trio that any Classic Rock lover will enjoy. This trio is currently promoting their latest release entitled Pink Champagne, a ten-song album that was recorded over two five-day sessions.

Pink Champagne’s first song, “Single Stitch,” finds Calise, Rangel and Reese creating a song that will probably remind you as much of Pink Floyd as it will The Black Crowes. This lead-off track features a slow-paced feel to the music but the energetic playing from all three members of the band makes you believe they’d launch into something a lot more up-tempo if the music allowed for that.

It is on the second track of the release that the listener gets to experience that full-bodied energy of Black Earth. “Face Down in the Gutter” finds Jason “Ving” Calise, Dave Rangel and Jason Reese unleashing the strongest track on the album. The track begins with a short introduction by the band before they take off on a song that seems to blend Hard Rock and Classic Rock into one enjoyable musical package. While Calise and Rangel make the music of the song come alive, it’s the playing of drummer Jason Reese that ultimately makes the track so strong.

Another track off Pink Champagne from Black Earth that features a Hard Rock feel is “My Private Hell”. Like “Face Down in the Gutter” before it, “My Private Hell” seems to feature lyrics of reflection. The personal connection made by the lyrics about being along is universal enough that nearly every listener will get behind the song as a personal anthem.

While “Face Down in the Gutter” and “My Private Hell” find the band in very reflective moods, the song “She Don’t Want It” is one song on the Pink Champagne album that seems to have been written for the purpose of just having fun. The strong music and infectious beat combine with a refrain that is easy to sing along with. One can almost imagine singing along with the band as they perform live in concert.

The song “No Way Back” is yet another track about reflection. And although it does seem to feature very personal thoughts about life, the song is also one of the strongest tracks on the album as far as the music is concerned. It is one instance on the release where the members of Black Earth take the time to let it all out. Throughout the song, each of the members of the band gets to show off their talents as a musician.

The majority of Pink Champagne from Black Earth finds the band creating some of the hardest rockin’ Classic Rock to be heard in a long time. However, on tracks like “Dear Lady Lean,” “Her Song,” and the aforementioned “Single Stitch,” the band keeps the album interesting as these songs allow the musicians to slow things down just a bit while still maintaining the Classic Rock feel that exists throughout the rest of the release.

It is with the title track of the album that Black Earth brings their newest release to a close. While still containing a Classic Rock feel, the major difference between “Pink Champagne” and the rest of the release is the inclusion of female vocals to the lyrics to the song.

The slow-paced feel to the song “Pink Champagne” seems to match well with the feeling of the lead-off track, “Single Stitch”. With the same type of energy at the beginning and at the end of the release, Black Earth allows their album to build and then slowly come to an end gradually. And with the solid Hard Rock songs in-between, Pink Champagne from Black Earth is just the thing for any fan of real Rock and Roll music.